From: "Bob Coe"
YyX4d.79$gk.33@okepread01

The Commandant of the Marines said today, that his troops "will
not be able to enter Fallujah, Iraq for years."
snip
It's a sad day for the Marine Corps.

The real ****er is that, during the Marines initial assault on Fallujah after
the contractor killings and burnings there, the Marines had the entirety of the
Fallujah insurgents pinned in a box in the north east sector (IIRC) of the
city. A couple of B-52 loads could have ended any problems there.

Sure, it would have appeared brutal. And the French would have screamed bloody
murder. But these insurgents RESPECT brutality only. They feared the Marine
snipers more then any other force.

Now we have some 140 or more hostages being held. And beheading videos.

The insurgents in Iraq are "Monkey see. Monkey do." Insurgents watched a
negotiated ending to the Marines assault on Fallujah, came to believe they can
just push the US forces around, and consequently, insurgents have popped up in
a wide variety of other places....thinking they can push the US forces around.

If the US had dealt in a merciless and brutal fashion with the Fallujah
insurgency, the remainder of anyone leaning towards insurgency wouldn't be
quite so ready to leap out into the street to create problems.

Missed opportunity the first time around in Fallujah. Should have pulled up the
B-52's and let the entirety of Iraq know that we are serious. Big mistake not
to have.
Dave